Welcome back to the continuing story of my Traumatic Trip to Tampa. In reflecting on my experience, I’m reminded that humor is a big part of retelling intense stories, at least in the way that I tell them. It helps give light to a situation that rather lacks in a punch line. Sometimes I feel as though I need to be comical and sarcastic when talking about trauma because, for some reason, I feel that it lightens the load on whatever feelings, thoughts, and emotions are going through the listener’s head; maybe I feel as though no one will listen if I’m being serious, vulnerable, and…genuine.
Josh showers me with appreciation, “I’m so glad you went first so the other girls will see you had a good experience.” Josh hates “hive-mind". In regards to this situation, he doesn't want one person to have a bad experience just to tell everyone else and eventually back out. I think it’s pretty funny that he thought I had an amazing experience. Apparently I’m wasting my time with modeling and should get more into acting because little did he know, I was about to blow shit up.
It’s time for the next girl to revel in the light of her soon-to-be shining head. Josh, Addie, and I walk to the car and Josh says he wants to sit in the back. I figured that was kind of weird, but I love shot-gun and he says he “has his reasons” for sitting in the back. On the way to the hotel to pick the next model up. He clues me in on why he wants to sit in the back. “I’ve worked with models before and I don’t want her interrogating you and asking you questions about what to expect.” My eyed got as big as my head because it seems to me like he wanted to control the narrative.
We pick her up from the hotel and she's super excited. I try not to rain on her parade, but I couldn't be too chatty because the only thing I'm thinking about getting in touch with my agent ASAP. That’s difficult to do when I’m in the same place with the two people that are responsible for my transportation. Normally Josh doesn’t let models sit in on the “photoshoots” that follow, but I guess he thought he made a friend out of me and let me stay. What a kind gesture of him, but I was not about to let the next girl be there alone, especially since she is a few years younger than I am.
We get back to the Airbnb and he goes through the whole spiel about what’s happening with the next girl, except he adds something to the mix. He brings up a concept called “The Wheel”. He explains that each model will spin the wheel and whatever hair cut it lands on, that’s what she’ll get. I thought it pretty jarring that he explains this like it was the plan the entire time. Mind you, he told us the night before that “he already had all of our hairstyles picked out for us.” She spins The Wheel and what do you know…it lands on BALD. Again, why the fuck do you need two bald models?
The next model, we’ll call her Hayley, asks, “So what are these photo’s going to be used for?” And without a breath, Josh says, “Oh, we can’t talk about that. I signed an NDA with the client and nothing can be disclosed.”
When in the world of modeling has anyone shot anything, for any brand or company, that could not be talked about? Shady shit, I tell you.
Josh and Addie get things started with Hayley and I sneak outside to get in touch with my agent. I tell her everything that is going on without sounding alarming. I told her that Josh said the deal was $3500 to volunteer to shave your head and $2500, anything goes. Her reply was, “Well, shaved on the sides, but not completely bald.”
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a miscommunication winner!
I explained to her the situation and she said she would give him a call, which is something I was not looking forward to as I was trying to go incognito on this.
The phone rings and Josh’s face completely changes. He looks straight at me with a snarling and dismissive look. “Guess who’s calling me right now. I knew this would happen.”
He is completely annoyed that my agent called him and she is not happy, “Lindsey Reeder is bald!?” As I figured, he completely manipulated the conversation back at my agent saying that they discussed what was going to happen. And no thanks to my agent because her final takeaway was, “Well, I don’t know what to do because they did sign a contract. I’ll just call the other girls and tell them what to expect.” I understand that they may have been duped as well, but I felt pretty stuck with that response. Josh gets off the phone and is huffing and puffing enough to blow this Airbnb down. He collects himself and continues on with Hayley.
I was sitting in another room of the Airbnb and I started digging on the talent agency that Josh and Addie were working under. I find their website and it doesn't have much on it other than contact information of the people that are part of the "team" and a bunch of stock photos. I look up the instagram of the agency and there's literally nothing on it. Zero posts, zero followers, and following...ZERO!!! Not sure how that makes sense to have a very successful agency with no social media footprint.
Listening in from the other room, I hear Hayley proclaim the same things I did earlier in the day. With her bald head she felt empowered and strong. It's the truth. There is something about a clean slate that feels rejuvenating. Something about letting go of the construct of beauty that you were once tied to creates a version of yourself that you didn't think possible. I was proud of her for feeling the same way that I did, but I couldn't help but wonder if she was putting on a face.
I’m feeling terrible at this point. I could throw up at any second with the pit that has been in my stomach for the past two hours. I could’ve just caused a disruption and told Hayley to get the fuck out with me and run, but instead, I let this girl go through the same thing I did. True that it isn’t my fault to begin with, but I feel like I could’ve done more looking back. I’m still struggling with that fine line.
I feel like something I tend to do, and has been apparent in the past, is blindly trusting other people regardless of how well I know them. It hurts my feelings when others don't trust me right off the bat because I know that I am a good person with good intentions. Therefore, I trust others because I don't want to hurt their feelings if I am skeptical. I don't want to change that about myself. I'd rather not be skeptical and untrusting of others to a fault because that creates unwanted problems, but I do think I need to learn to trust my intuition better and listen to those internal cues. There were moments that I brushed away weird feelings and red-flags. I didn't want to think that I had gotten myself into a sticky situation, so I chose not to believe it at the time. If I don't believe it, then I don't have to deal with it. Lord knows I'm dealing with it now.
Daniel Robertson is still tricking women into producing smut for his fetish websites. A lot of victims have spoken out on the internet. He's a scumbag. Perhaps enough victims can come together and sue him? He's already been sued by a former business partner before. Good luck and be safe!
Sad. I hope you're ok. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. I don't understand how people can do this to others. I'm not sure but I think this Josh is actually Daniel Matthew Robertson. He is known for ruining a website called ltah and for trying to order the death of his business associate.
I don't understand how people can support his sites which are clipper shave, clippersnip, shavepage, and I think haircutparty, baldvids, eurobald and shaveflix are theirs too.
But it's good that nothing more serious happened to you, from your photos you looked stunning with a shaved head and I listened to your songs and you rock, so I hope you don't give up on…